For tens of millions of people, allergy season marks the beginning of a period of misery, characterised by runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing, all triggered by trees, grass and various pollens. The severity of these symptoms can vary significantly depending on geographic location, specific allergens and daily habits. Experts are increasingly attributing longer and more intense allergy seasons to climate change. However, there is encouraging news: treatments for seasonal allergies have become notably more effective over the past decade. With these advancements, experts are offering practical advice to help manage symptoms, potentially enabling sufferers to enjoy the outdoors once again.
How to Track Pollen Levels
Pollen trackers can help you decide when to go outside. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology monitors levels through a network of counting stations across the United States. Counts are available on its website and via email.
The First Step: Avoid Pollen Altogether
The best initial step to controlling allergies is avoiding exposure. Keep windows in your car and home closed, even when the weather is pleasant. If you go outside, wearing long sleeves can keep pollen off your skin and help ward off allergic reactions, according to Dr James Baker, an allergist at the University of Michigan. It also provides some sun protection, he added.
When you return home, change your clothes and shower daily to remove all pollen from your body, including your hair. If you cannot wash your hair every day, try covering it with a hat or scarf when outdoors. Avoid getting into bed with outdoor clothes on, as pollen will follow. Rinsing your eyes and nose with saline can also help remove pollen. The masks used during the pandemic can protect against allergies, though they will not help with eye symptoms.
How to Relieve Allergy Symptoms
Over-the-counter nasal sprays are among the most effective treatments for seasonal allergies, experts say. However, patients often use them incorrectly, irritating parts of the nose, said Dr Kathleen May, an allergist at Augusta University in Georgia. She recommended angling the nozzle outward toward your ear rather than straight up your nose. Over-the-counter allergy pills like Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec are helpful, but may not work as quickly since they are taken orally, experts noted. If allergy symptoms are affecting your quality of life, such as causing sleep loss or difficulty concentrating at work or school, it may be time to see an allergist. There are medications that can train your immune system not to overreact to allergens. Some social media or celebrity-endorsed remedies, like consuming local honey to expose yourself to pollen, have been debunked. Dr Shyam Joshi, an allergist at Oregon Health and Science University, explained that the flowers bees pollinate typically do not contain the airborne pollen that triggers allergy symptoms.
New Cities Top the List of 'Allergy Capitals'
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issues an annual ranking of the most challenging cities for allergy sufferers, based on over-the-counter medicine use, pollen counts, and the number of allergy specialists. This year, the top five cities are: Boise, Idaho; San Diego; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Provo, Utah; and Rochester, New York.
Pollen Helps Plants Reproduce—and Makes Us Miserable
Pollen is the powdery substance produced by seed-producing plants and trees as part of their reproductive process. In early spring, tree pollen is the main culprit. Later, grasses pollinate, followed by weeds in late summer and early fall. Common tree pollens that cause allergies include birch, cedar, cottonwood, maple, elm, oak and walnut, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Grasses that cause symptoms include Bermuda, Johnson, rye and Kentucky bluegrass.
Is Allergy Season Changing?
Winters are milder and growing seasons are longer as the climate changes, providing more opportunity for pollen to remain in the air, resulting in longer and more severe allergy seasons. Last year was one of the most intense allergy seasons on record, particularly in the southeastern United States.
